The Aftermath
by BobTheHobo777
Summary: What happens when Olimar leaves? The Pikmin world is thrown into chaos, with no justice for anyone and cruelty to all Pikmin. And the only one that can change this...is an insignificant little blue Pikmin?...
1. Default Chapter

_Olimar's ship took off into the sky, treasures and all. All the Pikmin gathered around to observe the marvelous sight, Olimar being a very important part of their lives by now. The ship flew into the sky, gaining speed, and soon, no Pikmin could see it in the distance. There was a brief moment of silence, and the Pikmin disbanded. Olimar had left._

_Meanwhile, a meeting was being held underground by monstrous creatures, each as deadly as the next. They were not known to the Pikmin, and they themselves barely knew the Pikmin. Some had heard how the Pikmin, those miniature and stupid creatures, had killed the Titan Dweevil, who had joined their ranks. Needless to say, they were furious. But the real leaders of the monsters knew that while the Pikmin had a leader, they would win. And as the ship took off, a raid was prepared…_

"Come on! Even a Shearwig could see that this is the best time to attack!" Ichabod shouted. Ichabod was a wizened old Titan Dweevil, and had lost most of his luster, though he retained his fighting spirit. He was a master strategist, and was trying to organize an effort.

"Aw, shut it, geezer," Ebon shouted back. Ebon was of a new breed, who called themselves the DomiBreed, short for the Dominatus Breed. No one had seen them before, and though they recoiled at sunlight, they were quite formidable.

At the insult, Ichabod seemed to puff up, and looked twice his size. "OLD GEEZER?" he yelled. "Why, I oughta skin you and-"

Ichabod was cut off as another monster waved a claw for silence. Ichabod looked down at his front feet, abashed, as the newcomer said, "Both of you, shut up. We can't afford to have any quarrels right now, dammit! Ichabod is right. We must attack! They have massacred the surface monsters; now it's their turn. I shall lead any volunteers into battle tomorrow, and those who stay behind-" at this, he looked pointedly at Ebon, who shrunk back, "-will have to attend to the elders."

Ebon let out a small snicker, but was abruptly silenced as another claw was waved menacingly. Ichabod nodded, satisfied with the plan. The leader murmured, "Tomorrow…will be doomsday…"


	2. Yukin

Thanks for reviewing, both of you! I type fast, and I get bored easily, so I'll probably update a lot.

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Yukin bowed to the priest, and walked out the door. As soon as he was out of sight, he bolted and ran. No self-respecting teenager like him would be seen around the temple! Yukin was a Red Pikmin, about 17 years of age. He was quite the superstitious one, though he would rather die than admit that to his friends. He hurried home, running at a brisk pace now.

His father met him, though not with much enthusiasm. "Where the bleep have you been?" commanded his father.

Yukin winced at the foul word, though he had said much worse before. "Just out there, father," he replied.

"Are you bleeping insane?" his father, Tim, roared. "You know that Olimar's no longer around to help us! You know he left yesterday night! He's gone, and us Pikmin will have to forage for ourselves, dammit!"

Yukin flinched at these expletives, but noticed a bottle of wine in his father's hand. Now he understood. He backed up slightly…and ran into the doorway, tackling his father. Tim went head over heels, and landed head-first on the ground. The wine went flying out of his hands, landing behind him and smashing to pieces. Well, it couldn't really be considered wine, Yukin thought, as he threw his father onto a bed. It was but Clover, a deadly plant that could kill, though it first made its victim "high". It had recently been figured out how to extract the poison, though that took away much of the feeling. Of course, older Pikmin were much more easily overwhelmed. The good thing was, only 2 bottles were left in the Pikmin's hands, and the technology to extract poison had been mysteriously deleted. Well, 1 bottle now.

Yukin walked out of his house, and out of the Red Onion, sliding down its legs. He didn't want to be next to his father's awful snoring! As his mother said, his father's snoring could disturb a Puffy Blowhog, and they were used to wind! Instead, Yukin headed for the Hole. A great place to hang out by, his friends frequently played a game in which they swung across the Hole on a vine. Whomever could get closest to the other side before swinging back was the winner. No vine was long enough to actually reach the other side, unfortunately, though some got close. And when a Pikmin fell into the hole…Nothing came out.

As Yukin approached the Hole, he heard an odd rattling from underneath. Yukin paused, uncertain. This had never happened before…And suddenly, a claw burst out of the hole and grasped a nearby vine.


	3. Attack

Yukin stared in amazement. The claw pulled on the vine, trying to drag whatever creature underground up. Yukin made a decision, and picked up a rock. Aiming carefully, he threw it at the vine. With a _snap_, the vine severed where the rock struck it and the claw retracted into the hole. There was a dull _thump_, and Yukin heard some voices yell. This time, something rocketed out of the hole, shooting upwards. It landed on two feet, with one hand in-between to balance itself. Righting itself, Yukin noticed that it was a male. The bulging muscles and the loincloth were dead giveaways. He stood tall, twice the height of Yukin, and was covered with fur. His lustrous fiery red pelt shone in the sun, but he seemed to recoil.

"So, little Pikmin," he commented. "Care to tell me where your village is?" he asked, flexing his claws.

Stammering, Yukin murmured, "No."

The creature dropped its casual manner and glared at Yukin. "You seem not to know who I am. I am Loki, the only one of my race. You would do best not to anger me. Now, tell me where your village is."

Yukin considered, and directed him to a nearby Emperor Bulblax nest. Maybe he would be torn apart by the Emperor and its various minions in the area!

But no such luck. "Are you sure?" asked Loki, shaking his head slightly.

Yukin gulped. "Um…maybe I got the details a bit mixed up." This time, Yukin directed him to the Submerged Castle. If he listened, Loki would be crushed by the vicious Waterwraith living down there.

Again, Loki shook his head. "I happen to know this region well. You just directed me to the Bulblax Kingdom and a Waterwraith's cave. I had hoped that you Pikmin would be more trustworthy. But he was right. You are good only for slaves."

Apalled, Yukin turned and ran the other way, though at the same time wondering who "he" was. Turning to look back, he saw Loki make a gesture and trace a symbol in the air. Yukin stopped running, feeling an odd tingling sensation. A blast of light flew towards him, engulfing him in its brightness. Temporarily blinded, he stumbled around, and tripped over a root. He landed face-down in the dirt, and twitched as his body changed. Two sharp shoulder blades grew out, being literal blades. His hands, good for working with plants, lengthened into triply pronged claws. His body grew, becoming longer and taller. His leaf shrunk into his head, leaving him bald. As he twisted, Yukin's body faded to a jet-black, dark as the night. His eyes narrowed, becoming red slits on his face. And bat-like wings sprouted out of his back, with a wingspan about as wide as he was tall.

He heard Loki's voice, though it sounded like it was far from him, as if Loki was whispering, "You are now cursed. You should not have lied, Pikmin. Now you shall live out your life as this creature…But I am not without sympathy. You know what? I'll give you choice of when you shall assume form. But if you do not assume your Juki form at least once a day, for at least 5 hours of the day, you shall be haunted." Loki paused, to let it sink in.

It took a moment. "What-? …No…no…it can't be…" Yukin murmured to himself, staring at his newly-formed claws. "It can't be."

Loki gave him a crazed smile. "Oh, but it can, little Pikmin. Or should I say, Juki. Now, run. Run for your life." With this last comment, Loki collapsed on the ground, exhausted from his spellcasting.

More monsters swarmed out after Loki's collapse, seemingly knowing that he would need help. Each was as lethal and dangerous as the next, and they all eyed Yukin hungrily. Yukin took heed of Loki's advice, and turned tail and ran, letting out an odd yelping noise. Yukin looked behind himself, and saw two pursuers. One seemed like a miniature, many-legged Beady-long-legs, and the other looked like an armored and clawed Dweevil. The Dweevil-lookalike soon fell behind, but the other still chased. Yukin ran into the forest, seeking shelter in the trees.

"Come on out, you treacherous Pikmin!" yelled the odd creature. "I know you're out there, and I'll find you!" The critter wandered around, looking upwards at the treetops and inspecting every nook and cranny.

Yukin, hidden in a cliff fissure, held his breath as it walked by. He stayed absolutely still, and it seemed not to notice him…And it turned around and slashed at him with a sharp and hairy foreleg! Yukin closed his eyes, ready for death, but his body reacted naturally. He ducked the blow, and struck back, uppercutting his opponent. The thing flew back, landing, crumpled, on the ground. It groaned, and righted itself. "So you're not going to cooperate, eh? Well, let me introduce myself first. I'm Web Spider. I can see you're a young Juki. Now, if you so desire, let's battle." Yukin looked at his claws, amazed at his own reaction. It appeared as if Jukis had great reaction time and power. Yukin dropped into an aggressive stance his father had told him. Spider bent his legs and jumped into the air. Yukin stared into the trees, trying to pinpoint the small adversary. And a web of sticky strands flew downwards, wrapping him up.

"AAHHH!" Yukin exclaimed. He twisted and turned, trying to get out, but the strands only tightened. There was only one way out. Yukin bared his teeth and bit into the web. It tasted horrible, and he spit it out immediately. Sighing, he took another bite, and spat that out, too. He worked quickly, and was soon free. But why hadn't Spider attacked? Looking to the sides, he soon understood. An arena had been arranged, with webs to stop him from getting out. He could barely move without getting caught again.

"Now I've got you," Spider said, descending on another strand with an evil grin. "You're not getting away, you luscious creature."

Spider was going to suck his blood! Yukin panicked, striking all around with his claws. He broke pieces of the web, but one hand soon got stuck. With the other, he was more lucky. His hand struck a nearby tree, which started to rock back and forth, and soon collapsed. Spider jumped back as the trap was torn apart. Baring his teeth, Spider jumped forward, swiping at Yukin.

But this time Yukin was prepared. He parried the blows, and struck back, sweeping the arachnid's legs out from under him. Spider fell, and, with a kick, Yukin sent him flying into and through a tree. He landed on the ground with a groan, and didn't move. Yukin stared at his foe, panting for breath. He had just killed, without meaning to. Yukin never wanted to kill anyone. He turned, still panting, and fled into the safety of the forest. Meanwhile, the other creatures were launching an attack, and his village would soon be in ruins…


	4. Aftershock

Author's Note: Hope you guys didn't get too attached to Yukin. Ya, he's gone. He was just the first victim of the underground marauders…And I edited it. Something got cut out…/

_3 Years later…_

Jewel looked up from her work, startled. A comet passed in the night sky, lighting up space. She sighed, thinking about all the things that had happened…Only three years ago, she had been 16 and reaping the benefits of life. And then it had happened. Everything had gone wrong. The monsters from underground had attacked, destroying entire villages, killing all in their path. Nothing had been left alive in their wake, and the rest of the villages quickly obeyed their orders. Now all Pikmin were slaves. It was a law, and to be taken for granted now. Pikmin, being naturally rebellious, didn't like the slave life; however, those that had risen up were soon met with mysterious accidents.

The sound of a whip jolted her out of her thoughts. "Get to work!" shouted a Bulborb. Jewel grimaced as she bent down, panning through the water again. The Bulborbs hadn't gotten much better off, though they were obviously better off than the "filth that was Pikmin".

Jewel kept panning through the river, searching for minerals. The comet was still glimmering above her, and lit her way. She took another step…and tripped over something hard. She reached back, grabbing it. She pulled at it, but could not get it out. She took out a small pick, and stuck it into the ground. She then pushed on it, lifting the thing out of the ground. The stone tumbled to the side, water washing the dirt off of it. And as the bright moon shone on it, it shone gold.

"Sir!" A Segmented Crawbster stood at the flap of the tent, beckoning to the leader of this regimen.

A heavily cloaked creature stood up, rubbing its forehead. "Yes, what is it, Seamus?" the figure asked.

"A Pikmin struck gold!" Seamus exclamied. "Master Loki, we've finally found the golden nugget!"

Loki was now fully aware of the situation. His eyes widened. "It can't be," he said, with a grin to show that he was kidding. "Finally! Now we need only five more of the sacred stones…" Loki noticed Seamus looking at him with an expression of curiosity on his face. "Well?" he commanded. "Go get that Pikmin!"

Moments later, Jewel was shoved, somewhat roughly, into Loki's tent. She glanced about, nervously, not sure if she had done something wrong. Loki turned his ice-cold gaze on her, and she immediately looked away, not wanting to face him. "You have done well, Pikmin. Much better than the treacherous scum I was greeted with when I first came aboveground, three years ago. You've found the accursed Sun Stone that no other could find; how did you do it?" he inquired, putting emphasis into his question. Jewel looked to either side of her, and, seeing this, Loki commented, "No need to fear, Pikmin. We are alone here. Just you…and me." Jewel opened her mouth, about to talk, when an alarm rang. Loki's eyes narrowed, and he held up a claw to signal to Jewel that she was to wait where she was. Jewel was happy to oblige as Loki ran out of the tent. Jewel sat there, twiddling her thumbs, as she heard things running around outside. She was used to taking orders and doing them. Every Pikmin had gotten used to it after the initial attack. Sure, no one liked it, but after three long years, not a single soul even considered fighting against the empire.

And with a sudden _rip_, a section of the tent was cut in two, and a male Red Pikmin walked through the gaping hole. "Quickly, come with me if you want to live!" he barked. Jewel hastily got up and ran after him as he left. She looked from side to side, and saw flames licking at the various buildings and tents of the camp. Monsters and cretins were running around, panicking. Not that there was a difference between the two.

The Pikmin soon led her into the forest, and, when they were far in and when the smell of smoke had almost abated, he stopped her. "I am Marrow," he said, introducing himself. "I am a rebel Pikmin. Heard of me?"

Jewel's heart leapt; if only she could go back to her joy-free life, which seemed a lifetime ago...And these rebel Pikmin might overthrow the enemy…"Of course I've heard of you!" Jewel exclaimed. "You're one of those brave Pikmin that fights against the empire!"

Marrow gave her a long look. "Yes...you wouldn't happen to be a spy?..." He left off, gesturing for Jewel to answer.

"Of course not!" she protested.

Marrow gave her a grim smile. "Good. I would've had to kill you if you were. Now, follow me." And at this, Marrow turned and ran further into the depths of the jungle. Jewel did her best to keep up, and ran after him, despite her aching legs. His speed soon overwhelmed her, and she slowed down, falling behind. He soon noticed, and came back for her. "Dammit, can't you move any faster?" he complained. Upon seeing her expression, he added, "Sorry. I've just been in rough conditions. We have time, though not much. Come on, then. We're close to camp now!"

With that, they kept moving, albeit at a slow pace. By the time it was dawn, they made it to a camp, bustling and full of working Pikmin. There was the occasional Bulborb, and a couple of Snitchbugs. It was beautiful to Jewel.


	5. Rebel Camp

Author's Note: Ya. Here eez teh next chapter. Um…enjoy! And character stories will be covered in more depth later. So, the other characters will know, but you readers won't. I like suspense. And I do know that I am delving into a horrible cliched storyline, but don't worry, I'll make this interesting…But I hope that I'll make it onto someone's Favorite Stories… ..

"…This is amazing!" exclaimed Jewel, walking into the camp. "This-…You-…Thank you!" she yelled, running back to give Marrow a big hug.

Marrow looked embarrassed, and said, "Ah, don't worry about it. No prob. But, uh, can you let go of me? 'Cause, uh, that's my fiancee over there, staring at us.

This time it was Jewel who was embarrassed, hastily letting go of Marrow. She waved to his fiancee, a blue Pikmin, who came over with a none too friendly look. "Sorry about that," Jewel apologized. "I wasn't trying to steal your man or anything; I was just thanking him for rescuing me from that horrid camp."

The other nodded as if she understood, and said, "That's all right, then. I wouldn't want him making out with some other girl! By the way, I'm Ivy. Who are you?"

Marrow answered that. "This is Jewel. She's from the camp down there. Or, was."

Ivy raised her eyebrows. "Was?" she asked, interested.

Marrow shrugged, as if it wasn't important. _Of course it was important! Males often would ignore those sort of things_, Jewel thought. "Well, we raided the camp and destroyed it. Most those creatures are dead, though a 'Loki', the general, got away. No doubt he'll make trouble for us later!" Marrow explained.

"Well, it sounds like you certainly have a story to tell," Ivy said, addressing Jewel. "Come on in. Kuja will be glad to meet you." Jewel nodded, and followed Ivy, leaving Marrow at the edge of camp. He didn't follow. _Odd how his fiancee easily made him a lot more gentle and nice, just be being there_, thought Jewel. Ivy led her to a large tent, decorated with bright red and yellow stripes, with a cute little flag sticking out of the top. Two opposing armies painted on the tent reminded Jewel of the dire problem. War was inevitable. Jewel walked in through the flap, after Ivy.

"This is Jewel, brought from the 'ol camp, Kuja. It seems she has a story to tell you.

A Yellow Pikmin in his middle ages sat on a chair, examining a glowing cube. "Very well," he sighed, putting the cube in a drawer. He gave Ivy a gesture, and she left. "Tell me, child, what is your name?"

Jewel, who had been intimidated at first, felt a prickle of annoyance. "I'm not a child!" she protested. "I'm of age!"

Kuja chuckled. "That's right; I forgot. Now, go on."

Jewel gulped, nervous. And she started into her story. She told of how she was taken from her home, and forced to work at the camp, looking for, ironically, jewels. And she described the whole camp, and what they were looking for. That seemed to interest Kuja the most. After she finished, Kuja murmured to himself, "So, they have the Gold Stone now…4 more…" he shook his head, banishing some thought, and said to Jewel, "Would you like to join the rebellion, by any chance?"

Jewel took a deep breath. And shouted, "YES!"

"You being a rookie, Jewel, means that I and Marrow are your teacher. We together shall show you the tricks of the trade. You willing to learn?" Ivy inquired.

Jewel nodded her head energetically. She couldn't believe that Kuja had accepted her…

"All right. Because our operation is secret, we have a basically need-to-know basis. Of course, we'll tell you everything, because Kuja thinks you are can be an expert spy. So, we'll start with some history." With that, Ivy took out a book and started to read from it.

"A long time ago, when the world was young, there were 6 types of Pikmin, and only 6 of each. However, each of those Pikmin had amazing power. There was the Fire. He could conjure fire out of nowhere, and harness its burning power. He was always power-hungry, and wanted more, but he would not be the ultimate failure. Then there was the Sea. She was a respectful blue Pikmin, who could take on a watery form and control water wherever it may be found. Always trustworthy, she was gentle and kind. Next was the Lightning. He was the fastest and could generate bolts of electricity and summon rainstorms. His need for more land was low, but he insisted on more. And then there was the Earth. He was powerful and buff, though he did not have much for brains. He could control every rock and stone, and caused quakes. His slow thinking did not necessarily mean he was stupid; it just took him a long time to realize and/or understand concepts. And there was the Gold. Mysteriously absent from all history books and memories, it is said that Gold represents Life, what is considered the ultimate philosophy, ununderstood by anyone. And last, the Void. Bringing dreams and death, the Void had the most power of all. But unlike the others, he abused his power, using it to kill and wreak havoc. He would tantalize creatures with sweet dreams, luring them over cliffs and into lava while sleepwalking, or torture others with brutal dreams almost painful enough to be real. The others, upon seeing this, had to act. They fought as one, overpowering the Void with their combined strength. They fought 'til the Void had but a whim of his health; it was then that he realized that he could not win that battle, and invoked his final power. He opened himself up, creating the ultimate tragedy. Death. He sucked up the others and voluntarily ended his own life in the process. But even Void, powerful as he was, could not wipe out the others' existance entirely; five great stones were scattered across the land, each representing one of the great entities. Similarly, Void remained as a spirit, but in a recent event, he was given a mortal body again. He stands on the borderline, observing and watching. Any offer of power will drive him to a side, which he will be loyal to as long as the deal is upheld. And the only offer that one can make to him…is the gift of the stones of his enemies…"

And Ivy closed the book with a grim look. "It doesn't look good for us," she commented, "But we have survived these three years, even with intense neglect. I still wish Olimar was back, though…"

Marrow put his hand around her shoulder, comforting her, and said, "Don't despair. We will prevail. We must. Our drive to survive will hold true! We shall leave now, for the Lava Pits!"


	6. Niko and Celia

Author's Note: I can't believe I forgot. I DO NOT OWN PIKMIN 2. OR ANY OF ITS CREATURES. I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS AND CREATURES NOT IN PIKMIN 2. Haven't updated in a while. I was waiting for ratings, but didn't get any. Sorry to all you anonymous readers; I accidentally turned on the "No anonymous reviews" thing. Anyway, if no one reviews this chapter, I'll assume that no one likes it, and I'll stop writing. So if you want more of this story, please review.

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Jewel stretched. The beginning of another day! Of course, it would be so much better if she didn't have to wake up so early. The sun had not come up yet, and it was COLD!

After eating some breakfast and getting ready to go out, she stepped out of her tent. She took it down and rolled it up, and packed it in a trunk. She then hung the trunk on a high branch of a tree. The army following them would pick it up when they came through the area later, as it was only a hassle to spies. Marrow and Ivy had gone on ahead, though Jewel thought it may have only been an excuse to get some privacy, away from her. They left tracks for her to follow, though she had to erase them as she went. There would be the occasional footprint, a bent branch, or a crumb from that day's boysenberry muffins, made by the camp's cook. They were relatively easy to find, for Jewel's eye, which was used to looking for treasure.

When she reached a clearing, she saw a large Bulblax sitting in the middle of it, slumbering. Or maybe it was a Bulborb. She never could tell the difference. Jewel decided to chance it, for there were obvious signs that someone had gone through the clearing, and that someone had to be Ivy and Marrow. Jewel tiptoed towards the sleeping creature slowly, hoping it wouldn't wake up. It did. It rose with a deafening roar, and turned its attention to Jewel, who muttered a most unladylike word and turned and fled. She ran back into the forest, with the Bulborb in hot pursuit.

The Bulborb ran after her, and soon cornered her, trapping her in a crevice. Jewel whimpered, and closed her eyes, waiting for the embrace of death. But there was a _hiss_ in the air as a sword cut through the Bulborb's leg, and it fell. A Red Pikmin ran past it and pulled Jewel out of the crack. "Who are you?" he inquired.

Because he was another Pikmin, Jewel decided to tell the truth. "I'm Jewel. I'm a spy against the empire!"

The Pikmin nodded, and plunged his sword into the Bulborb. It howled pitifully as blood welled out of the wound, and soon died. The Pikmin led Jewel away from the canyon and back to the clearing Jewel found the Bulborb at. "I'm…Niko. I am new to this place, as I've been living in an old town for many years. The town was impervious to news, so I haven't any clue about current events. Care to fill me in?"

Jewel nodded, trusting him. She knew about the town of Okitox, a town encased in an impenetrable shield that kept anything from going in. The natives could still get out, but were generally discouraged to, it had been said. The town was disconnected from the rest of the world, cutting it off from information and keeping it living primitively. "Yes. By the way, thanks for saving me. Anyway, it's like this…" And Jewel told him all about the conquering of Pikmin when Olimar left, as the creatures easily overpowered them. "And so, the rebels are now fighting against the empire, and I am a new spy in the ranks," she concluded.

"Interesting…Well, can I help? I'd like to join!" Niko demanded.

Jewel smiled. Already this youth of about 20, barely older than her, was starting to grow on her. "Sure! I'll put in a good word for you. You can go live at the camp, and train!"

Niko grimaced. "Fighting training? I already know enough about that," he boasted.

Jewel grudgingly had to admit that was true. "Well…"

Niko sighed. "You know what? Never mind. I'll just stick around in the wilderness, I guess."

Jewel smiled. "All right. I'll pass information to you if we meet again."

Niko smiled, too. "Thanks. Oh, and here," he said, giving her a bouquet of roses. "I found these on the side of the path, and naturally, they should go with you, a lovely Pikmin."

Jewel accepted it with grace, and thanked him, blushing slightly.

The two parted and went their separate ways, Niko to his treehouse or wherever he lived, and Jewel following Marrow and Ivy's tracks. They were relatively easy to follow, and had not lead her to any problems yet. But soon, she came upon a large creature. Its eyes glowed red and its body was suited in a gleaming armor. But worst of all, there was blood on its teeth. Jewel convinced herself that the creature had recently fed and had not eaten her good friends, but just in case…"Who are you?" she and the creature said in unison. Jewel grinned, but the beast said nothing, maintaining a sour face, so she answered first. "I am Jewel, humble Pikmin. And you?"

With a grimace, the creature muttered, "Celia. I'm sure it's a pleasure to meet you," she said with dripping sarcasm so real Jewel could almost feel its stickiness, like saliva spat out of Celia's mouth. Jewel immediately knew that she would not get along well with Celia. Celia, after some consideration, said, "Well, if you're a Pikmin, why aren't you in the camps?

Jewel gulped. This could mean trouble…she put her hand on her belt, ready to draw out a spell to contain Celia, but answered, "I am a rebel. Going to do something about it?" she inquired.

Celia seemed not to be surprised. "It will not matter anyway. Though, Kuyin will need to know about this. There seem to be more and more rebel Pikmin running aroun-" Her statement was cut off as Jewel pulled out a bottle and ripped the cork off. A stream of green liquid shot out of it with amazing speed and precision towards Celia. Eyes wide, she ducked the blast and rolled out of the way. Behind her, the liquid gushed into the ground, melting through several layers. Then, unsheathing a basic katana, she leapt at Jewel. Jewel barely had time to scramble out of the way. And another slash came from Celia, a horizantal one, and a vertical one, each coming close to her body than the last. And finally, she was backed up against a tree. "Now you will pay, little Pikmin," barked Celia. And she raised her hand to make the death blow. Jewel stared at the next bottle in her arsenal. The thing was, the other potion only had the acidic effect on earth; it would simply immobolize a living creature. But the next one was different…Jewel twisted to the side slightly so the sword struck her arm. Blood oozed out of the wound, and Jewel lost her mind at the same time. She did not hesitate in taking out the liquid solution, kicking Celia away from herself, and throwing the potion at her. Jewel did not flinch when the potion hit Celia and exploded. Jewel did not seem to notice as Celia's body burst into flame and screams of agony erupted from it. The flame licked at all the things around, and slowly burned and burned, scorching Celia's body to a charred piece of ash, until it died out. The ashes were misshapen and deformed, and were blown away by the wind. And, as dawning comprehension came into effect on her, Jewel put her face in her hands…and cried.


	7. A New General

Author's Note: Um…duh…all right, I'll keep writing. And as for your question, Kirby, um…well…ya know what, why don't you go ask the next author a question about his book? I think that the story closest to mine, right before it, was…KirbyXtreme's. So why don't you go ask him a hard-to-answer question about his sto-Oh. Well, let's just say that I'll be posting the Pikmin's age in Pikmin years. So they might just be 10 days old, but that might be 13 in Pikmin years. Now…because I've seen two stories doing it…I'll accept signups for those who want to be in the story. I won't go too far with this idea. Mostly, I just need better names for my Pikmin. All I've been doing is throwing random letters together and making sure that the vowels and syllables were matched so it would sound right. And besides, I'm bored and sleepy. So here's a sign up sheet:

Name:

Alignment: (Beasts, Pikmin, or Neutral)

Species/Color: (You can be a beast. You can choose one that's been made in Pikmin, or you can make your own. Just don't make it overpowered.)

Personality:

Location: (Lava Pits, Whirlpool Willows, Lightning Lyght, Ruddy Ruins, Void, Slave Camp, or Wilderness)

And that's it. And if I don't like your thing or if I decide not to do this later on, when I feel like I have a bit more brainpower, I'll just take your names or sumthin' like that. And if you don't want to make a character, feel free to contribute ideas. And sorry for the wait. My life caught up with me. o.o I'm betting there's a million mistakes in here…

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Jewel just sat there on the ground, kneeling. How could this have happened? She had murdered in cold blood. She did have paralyzation solutions; why didn't she use them? Now a life had been taken. Jewel bowed her head, thinking about how she could possibly repent for what she had done.

Time passed, and Jewel was not aware of it. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. There was nothing for her. She should just wallow up and die in her misery. Then footsteps came. A Pikmin, lifting her up. Someone was carrying her. Through her tears, she saw his face. A red one. It looked familiar. And then, Jewel fainted.

Hours later, Jewel awoke to the crackling of a fire. She forced her tear-stained eyes open, and looked around. She was in a long sleeping bag, and had a good amount of space to roll around. The burn marks caused by the earlier fire were almost gone. There was another sleeping bag right next to her, with Ivy in it, and a campfire was burning bright, with Niko and Marrow sitting around it, talking to each other. Jewel shivered. The fire reminded her of her dastardly deed. It burned, without even thinking of what consequences it could bring about. The fire scorched and hurt people, with a merry glee, with not a care in the world. Jewel suddenly felt cold, and clutched the blanket around her, her teeth chattering. In an instant, Niko was by her side, asking her what had happened.

"I heard an explosion. I was afraid that you had somehow gotten in trouble, and went to look for you. On the way, I met this friend of yours. Marrow, it seems. We were both anxious about you, and came to look for you. We stumbled upon you kneeling in front of a piece of charred ash with your head bent. So I picked you up and carried you to Marrow's camp, and he scattered the rest of the ashes to the wind. On the way, we met a queer fellow. We think he's still following us. His name's Hujer, and he was rambling on and on about someone called 'Kuyin'. Something about betrayal. After he told us all a wonderful story, he then said that the sky was blue. Then he ran around in circles, yelling and whooping. And finally, he angled his head down and ran at us, yelling 'battering ram'. We left him behind, but we've found traces of him."

Jewel raised her eyebrows in an amused expression. "Such as?" she asked.

Niko shrugged. "Like finding coconuts on the road, as well as the odd feeling of being watched.

Jewel smiled. "Thanks for coming for me," she murmured.

Niko returned the smile, his grin seeming to light up the sky. "No prob," he whispered.

And Jewel close her eyes, and sunk into sleep again.

The next morning, Jewel awoke to a rising sun, reddening the great sky. Jewel stretched, and got up, yawning. They were getting closer to the Lava Pits now, and it would be within sight before long. After yesterday's events, the foursome had decided to travel together for maximum safety. _Only an hour or so until-_ Jewel's thought was left unfinished as a loud _boom_ sounded off in the distance. Jewel looked at Niko nervously. He murmured, "It should be all right…these are calm lands…"

Marrow, walking behind him, stopped and nodded. "The Beasts have no power here. The Lava Pit civilians have been too strong for them to take, and any that stray in the forests are soon killed by Lava Pitians."

But another resounding _boom_ sounded, closer this time. "Let's not take any chances," muttered Ivy, and they walked along at a brisk pace. However, the sound did not stop. Quite the contrary. The _boom_ing got closer and closer. But when it seemed to be right by them, it stopped. Looking around nervously, Ivy said, "Well, at least that stopped…"

Then a small hole appeared in the ground. Niko started to walk closer to take a look, but Marrow held him back with one hand. Just in time, too. A single claw poked its way through the whole. Marrow looked at Ivy questioningly. She shrugged, apparently not knowing what it was either. And, faster than the eye could blink, a paw followed up behind that claw. The paw was furry and looked soft, but Jewel knew better than to go check. After a brief pause, the paw vanished. And another _boom_, and dust clouded everywhere. Jewel heard rocks and pieces of dirt dropping to the ground. The soft _clink clink_ almost made them sound metal…Then the smoke cleared, and an odd creature was standing there. It seemed to have no neck, its head simply attached to its body, and its whole body was covered with dense brown fur. Its eyes, those wretched eyes, were chips of burning fire on its face. Three long, twisted horns grew out of its forehead, with points so sharp they looked as if they could pierce armor. Each was curved forwards, but was moving as if directed to by the monster. The long and hairy arms were longer than the body itself, and it held them in front of it. They ended in four long, wickedly sharp claws. Its legs were rather short, but it was obvious that it did not do much running anyway. And…it…was a he. "So you three are the ones that I'm supposed to find, eh?" he said with a menacing grin. "Well, just come with me, and I won't need to hurt you. Besides, Kuyin wants you all alive. So just-"

He was cut off as Ivy spat at him, yelling, "We will never go with you, you slaver scum!"

When he spoke again, his voice was like the scratching of metal upon gravel, a noise that ground at the foursome's ears. "Do not anger me, Pikmin. You will come with me. Alive."

"Oh yeah?" replied Ivy. Marrow made a shushing motion at her, but she paid no attention to her fiance. "Well, how would you like having your face bashed inside out?"

"I wouldn't like that at all," he agreed calmly. "How would you like having your face stuffed under mud for a few hours?"

Ivy fell quiet after that, so Marrow resumed the conversation. "Look, you're outnumbered. There are 4 of us and you're alone. We don't want to have to hurt you."

The look the creature gave Marrow was full of hatred. "My name is Cujiq. Always address me by it." After looking at the four bedraggled members of the group, he retorted, "And though I may be outnumbered, you're outskilled. I am not a General for nothing. Besides, you all look tired. Been walking all day?"

Marrow paled. So bluffing would not get through this creature. "Very well, then. We shall fight." Without another word, he drew his trusty sword, the _Sentinel_, and ran at Cujiq. The _Sentinel_ was a specially modified longsword, with the sword splitting towards the middle to form two blades, much like a pair of scissors. Marrow sliced downwards, but Cujiq caught the oncoming blade between two claws. Then, a punch to the stomach sent Marrow reeling back. The _Sentinel_ was dropped. Now Ivy and Niko jumped into the frey, weilding a rapier and zweihander, respectively. Cujiq knocked the rapier aside by batting at it, but the zweihander made a gash across his bicep.

"What's the matter, Cujiq?" taunted Niko, jumping out of the retaliating swipe aimed at him. "Annoyed that I drew first blood?"

Cujiq did a back flip, and landed on his feet, out of the reach of both swords. "No, just raging at you," he replied. Cujiq leaned back, and let out a mighty blast of sound and wind that sent Niko flying backwards into a tree. Only Ivy's quick reflexes by sticking her rapier into the ground and hanging onto it. Cujiq paused for breath before long, and Ivy relaxed her grip on her sword slightly. Cujiq leapt into the air, and intended to crush Ivy. She rolled out of the way. Cujiq, however, had other intentions, apparently. He sunk into the ground, leaving no trace of him behind. Jewel, who had been watching the battle, stunned, was brought back to consciousness as that happened.

She rushed over to Ivy and helped her up. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"She'll be fine," said a limping Marrow. Getting the wind knocked out of him was exhausting for him.

Noki came up, supporting his left arm with his right, his zweihander sheathed across his back. "That was too close. He almost had us. But why did he flee?"

That question was answered as three familiar-looking horns burst out of the ground. "RUN!" cried Jewel, sprinting away, with the others not far behind her. The horns moved toward them with frightening speed. And claws emerged from the ground, too, eager to pierce skin. If any of them fell, they would get ripped apart by the oncoming Cujiq. Jewel turned and threw a slowsand mixture at Cujiq. Hopefully, it would stop him. The others ran on by her, knowing that she knew what she was doing. And Cujiq did pause. For a bit. But then he moved on, with renewed speed. Jewel could barely stay ahead of those points. She leapt over rocks, dodged around trees, and ran through bushes…but those horns crushed the rocks, split the trees, and scattered the bushes. Jewel could barely look back, but she forced herself to do so. _A Pikmin had its hand in the ground, and had grabbed Cujiq! _The Pikmin pulled Cujiq out of the ground, and slammed him into a nearby tree with force. Cujiq groaned and slowly stood up. The Pikmin, taking advantage of his momentary dizziness, ran up to Cujiq and jabbed, crossed, hooked, and elbowed Cujiq in the chest.

Cujiq let out a below of agony, and glared at Jewel. "You win this round, Pikmin. But I will be back." He gestured, and was gone in a flash. Undoubtedly, his master had called him away. Now Jewel looked at the odd Pikmin. There were scars all over its body, and the eyes had no friendliness in them. Had Jewel just walked out of one unfortunate fate just to stumble into another?


	8. Lava Pits?

Author's Note: Eh. Stupid writer's block. I lost inspiration for this story…then found it again after starting another fic about Breath of Fire. Go check it out if you're interested. Thanks for joining, Legoman and KirbyXtreme. It makes me feel much better knowing that there are at least two people reading this.

All was quiet as wind swept through the plains. It whipped up miniature dust storms, and small pieces of debris blew around. An entrance to an underground cavern was often cluttered up with said debris, and this generally annoyed those who lived down there…like the group gathered there at the moment.

"Well…" murmured one in a hissing voice. "You better have a good reason for calling us down here. I'd bet all I own that I speak for all of us when I say that his place is just a junkyard."

Randomly scattered around a rather large, dark room, four figures were holding a conference, discussing something of utmost importance. One of them, sitting on a throne, appeared to be the center of attention. "It _is _important. I'm offering you as many riches as you can carry with you if you can kill…this Pikmin," he offered, throwing a drawing up in the air, where it lazily drifted downwards. Before it hit the ground, it was snatched up by another creature. It made no sound, and, instead, gestured. "What do you mean, 'Is that all?'" raged the one who had proposed the bounty. Soon, though, he regained his composure. "Yes, I suppose it must be all too easy for you professionals…which is why there's more than one target." At this, the speaker took out a handful of accurate representations of his enemies. "There is but one rule. You cannot harm each other."

One of them, leaning against the wall, let out a barking laugh. "This will be too easy. I'll let you two have a head start, even," he added on thoughtfully.

Hissy gave him a menacing glare that could not be seen through the darkness, and replied, "I'll take you up on that offer. Two days' head start, then?"

Barker grinned, another expression the was unseen. "You know it."

The former and the mute were off in a flash, ready to hunt their prey. Barker remained behind to speak with his employer. "This Pikmin…her name?"

One word, whispered with hatred and anger, answered his question. "Jewel."

Jewel couldn't believe her luck. She had fallen out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak. As she had opened her mouth to thank her rescuer, he had clampet it shut and closed it with some oddly sticky material. While she was stunned with shock, he bent down and tied her hands and feet, leaving her helpless. He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her away. The only sounds she could make were muffled cries, and her kicking and/or punching didn't even phase her opponent. If only she hadn't dropped her rapier while running from Cujaq!

"Not much further," he grunted.

Jewel was surprised. That was the first time he had talked in the half hour or so he had abducted her. He eventually carried her into a small camp, abundant with Red Pikmin, though there was the occasional Grey and Blue. Jewel was surprised that there were any Greys here at all. They had the power to switch between a gassy and solid form, or could achieve a form somewhere inbetween, so they'd be light enough to float, but still solid. However, in recent times, they had been missing, and few were ever seen roaming around. A grey Pikmin with a friendly face yelled a "Heya, Kilgur!" to her carrier. In response, Kilgur only gave the Grey a nod. He carted Jewel to a large wooden building, where many Pikmin were seated around a table.

"Found her in ze wilds," murmured Kilgur. "I zink zhe iz a zpy. You take over fro' here." And with that, Kilgur left the building, closing the door with an absolute _crack_.

Now Jewel was the center of attention, strung up like a turkey. She struggled, but to no avail. Her bonds held fast. All of the Pikmin around the table glanced at her nervously. Finally, one stood up and said, "I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to allow her to talk," and he promptly removed Jewel's gag with some uttered words.

"So," asked an old Pikmin, his wrinkles so many that he looked ancient, "Why are you here, spy?"

"I'm not a-…" Jewel was interrupted as another Pikmin, who looked the youngest there, barely older than she was, stood up and spoke.

"Lies!" he spat. "All lies. Tell us why you are here immediately, or we'll have to get unpleasant."

Jewel racked her mind frantically. These Pikmin thought she was a spy. A spy for whom, and from what? These were likely the Lava Pits Pikmin…but why weren't they there? And why had their numbers diminshed so greatly? "Me?" she started. "A spy for whom?"

The youth glared at her with pure rage. How impatient he was! "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, FOR WHOM? WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE WITH HIM! OUT WITH IT! WHERE IS HE?" he roared.

"Now, now, Hyure, calm down," said another Pikmin, a Red this time. He was in his prime, wizened by his life experience but still young enough to retain most of his strength. "Look, miss…perhaps this is a misunderstanding. I'm **Kenshin**."

Most of the Pikmin rounded on him, with protests of, "She must be a spy!", "Why else would she be in this area?", and "Who ordered some Glowstem to che-oh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?" The latter came from a youth, who looked barely old enough to be working. He held a bag in his right hand, which probably contained the Glowstem.

The argument broke off as a grey Pikmin sheepishly stood up and took the Glowstem from the youth, slipping somehting into his hand as he went back to his seat. Immediately, the grey Pikmin shoved the Glowstem into his mouth, ignoring the rude stares he got when he crunched it.

"Right then," said Kenshin in a decisive voice. "Look, we just joined the rebels," he said, trying to persuade his colleagues. "We must accept any possible new members…"

Before he had a chance to finish his sentence, three Pikmin, Ivy, Niko, and Marrow, burst into the building, panting.

"Jewel…came with us…" panted Ivy.

"She's…part…of the…resistance," continued Marrow.

"Yeah…so let her go…" finished Niko.

Kenshin gave the other Pikmin a triumphant look, and untied Jewel. Jewel thanked him with gratitude. But then, a question sprung up in her mind. "Why are you all here?" she inquired.

Kenshin sighed. "I will tell you about it. But first…you should get some rest. You look exhausted."

He was right. Jewel felt like she would collapse on the spot. She accepted the offer, and was soon dozing off in the shadows of a tree…

A/N: Uh…yeah…your character will come in either the next chapter or the chapter after that, KirbyXtreme. Hope you enjoyed this one.


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